


The Weakest

by malcolmn666



Series: Lu Ten Lives [1]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Lu Ten (Avatar) Lives, Mostly just Azula realizing her dad sucks and she's better than him
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-14
Updated: 2020-09-14
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:41:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 761
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26465851
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/malcolmn666/pseuds/malcolmn666
Summary: Just a random little somethinAzula is realizing her father is weak (and maybe her brother isn't...as weak)
Relationships: Azula & Iroh (Avatar), Azula & Lu Ten, Azula & Ozai (Avatar), Azula & Ursa (Avatar), Azula & Zuko (Avatar)
Series: Lu Ten Lives [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1957171
Comments: 8
Kudos: 182





	The Weakest

**Author's Note:**

> This is my little Lu Ten lives universe. Shirai is just the name I use for his son. I think of his wife as being woman named Chizue but they are extremely not important in this work
> 
> ref of affair/cheating

At Shirai’s fifth birthday party, Ozai disappeared to Agni-knows-where, and Zuko was embarrassing himself in front of Admiral Yamana for a full hour. Meanwhile, Ursa was increasingly intoxicated, gradually slumping over her spot at the end of a table in the corner. Annoyed, Azula stalked over to make some sort of cutting remark to her mother.

“Listen to me, Azula,” she said, her voice low but quivering with a note of hysteria, “that man— _Ozai_. He is weak. He will use you because he is _too weak_...”

Zuko ended up escorting her out later, muttering something that Azula did not catch.

She realized sometime later that her mother’s state and warning likely alluded to Ozai’s ongoing affair with Lady Rin, and not much else. But that did not stop her words from interrupting her thoughts unbidden, or from repainting Ozai with all his flaws, previously ignored with agonizing duty.

The morning Zuko left to begin his navy career, Lu Ten helped her review her applications for Caldera Imperial University while his wife busied their son in the gardens.

“Dare I say it,” he said, with an approving smile, “that you are the smartest—and the strongest—in our family. Perhaps in the nation.”

“Don’t tell Zuzu you said that,” she quipped, “but I know I’m your favorite cousin.” Lu Ten had laughed.

“Zuko has different strengths,” he said finally, looking over her contemplatively. “I know your father thinks differently, but the two of you, together? Unstoppable. Together, I know the three of us are going to bring the Fire Nation into a golden age.”

She very much doubted that her brother would have much to do with any successes, but she let it go.

Two weeks before her sixteenth birthday, she received a dagger inlaid with emeralds from Zuko. It was much gaudier than she would have chosen for herself; Zuko at least knew that, apologizing in his letter, justifying the gift as it was a war prize when they defeated a rogue Earth Kingdom fleet off the southern coast. _I know you were jealous of the dagger Uncle gifted me_ , he wrote, _and I thought you might like your own_.

Despite Ursa’s protests and Ozai’s silent disapproval, she belted the dagger to the outside of her ( _boyish_ ) formal wear the night of a banquet that happened to coincide with her own birthday. The Fire Lord noticed, but his gaze was deceptively warm.

“I hope you are not insulted when I say that you look the very image of a warrior princess, my niece,” he said. “Of course, that is what you _are_.” Iroh chuckled mostly to himself, his ringed hand resting on his stomach. Azula was not fooled by his outward show of opulence; he was a dragon, vicious and cunning, a warrior king himself. Then he shifted, his voice lowering. “Lu Ten has told me about your academic ambitions. I must say, I am pleased that you shall honor our family with your mind.”

Her father would have preferred that she enrolled in the military academy, but it likely did not need to be said. Zuko had already done it, anyway, even if he hadn’t had the best marks. It wasn’t as if there was still a proper war to be fought anymore.

“Thank you, Uncle.” She opted for familiarity; he seemed to prefer it when she did. “I look forward to serving our nation in all capacities.”

“I know you do.” His other hand fell to her left shoulder, and she felt a faint squeeze. Azula did not let her expression falter as he offered her another smile before walking away, addressing some of the noblemen.

Minutes later, her father appeared.

“Daughter,” he said sharply, “Come. You are to meet Admiral Yamana’s son.”

Azula easily veiled her disgust. “Yes, Father,” she replied, taking him in as he led her across the crowded room. Her mother’s words came back to her again, and she could see the truth of it, even physically—in the way his chin dissipated under his beard, or the way his eyes seemed gilded, not solid. Zuko took after him, but even with half a face and half his age, her brother had always seemed more substantial than Ozai. It was strange to think that her brother who cried over turtleducks and believed nearly every outlandish lie from her lips might not be the weakest.

It didn’t matter, too much. She was stronger than them both. Without thinking, she touched the dagger.

(At least Zuko—along with Ursa, and Lu Ten, and Iroh—knew it.)


End file.
